Crash and Burn
by CSIslave
Summary: A kiss seems like a perfect way to start a relationship, but Sara can't get Grissom to respond to her until a tragedy occurs and she needs him more than ever. Part two of High School Days
1. Save you from yourself

A/N: Okay, I have FINALLY decided to get back to work on my story, High School Days. This is the second part to that, so enjoy!

I do not own CSI or any of its characters.

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Sara sighed, doodling on her math homework. It was Friday night, and although the dance had ended over three hours ago, Sara could still feel her heart pumping at a higher-than usual rate. Closing her eyes to better re-visualize the kiss, Sara flopped onto her bed, grinning. Grissom had danced with her all night, with Sara resting her head against his shoulders and breathing in every scent. There was only one kiss, though, something that Sara regretted, but would treasure for a long time. Restless, Sara dumped her binder onto her bed to organize it. A tower of schoolwork fell out, and a small note with her name on it. Confused, Sara unfolded it and read it.

_Sara-_

_I was in Social Studies with everyone and I happened to see a crumbled ball of papers near the garbage. Now, usually I'm not nosy, but something inside me told me to _pick_ it up and I did. Sara, whenever you get this note- we need to talk. It's not fair of him to do this to you. So, pull me aside during lunch so we can have a chat about what to do with Grissom._

_Keep holding on!_

_Cath_

Sara grinned. Grissom didn't hurt her anymore; that night had been better than any she could ever remember. Grissom had finally shown a spark of emotion towards her. She smiled again, hugging her arms around herself. Suddenly, the phone rang. Sara jumped, still hugging herself and imagining Grissom. _Grissom._ She jumped up quickly and answered it anxiously.

"Hello, this is Sara Sidle."

"Sara! Hey babe!"

"_Grissom?"_

"Are you kidding me? It's Veronica!" Sara laughed, relaxing and spreading out on her bed.

"Hey, Veronica. What's up?"

"Well, you never really gave me an answer about my little road trip with my bro. Can you come or not?" Sara sighed.

"Veronica, Grissom _FINALLY _does something and you want me to leave for the weekend? Are you crazy?"

"Yeah… I guess you'd want to stay with him. Hey, listen, we leave tomorrow. I'll call you when we get there… unless I see you before 10 am.

"Veronica, at the rate I'm going, I probably won't even get to sleep until then!"

"Alright then, sweetie. Have a great weekend! I'll call you when I get to Santa Monica!"

"Bye, Veronica." Sara hung up, a little disappointed, yet excited. Tomorrow, she could stop by Grissoms' house and see if he wanted to see a movie or maybe just a walk in the park. Sara smiled, imagining them sitting on the benches like the other couples, hypnotized by each other. She yawned. Still smiling, she crawled into bed and quickly fell asleep.

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Grissom sat outside on the sidewalk. The only sources of illumination were the moon, stars, and the flickering light post above his head. Consumed by his thoughts, Grissom didn't even notice when several people walked close to him and stopped. Sighing, Grissom stood, only to be grabbed by the shoulders from behind. Turning quickly, Grissom saw Catherine's smiling face. Behind her were Nick, Greg, and Warrick.

"Hey Griss, why the long face? Aren't you happy?"

"Yes," Grissom responded, smiling slightly as he remembered how he had felt when Saras' soft lips had touched his. "And no. I don't know how I can act around her, Catherine. I thought that trying to be with her would make everything better, but it already seems a whole lot worse." Catherine patted his back empathetically.

"We thought so. We've come to rescue you from yourself. Come out to the coffee house with us!"

"Catherine- it's two in the morning."

"Grissom- it's the weekend. Your mother won't mind if we go now."

"You mean she won't know."

"What's the difference?" Grinning mischievously, Catherine yanked Grissom into the group.

"Is Sara coming?"

"Nope, we're going to rescue her later. We figured she'd be up all night anyway, day-dreaming and remembering…" Catherine winked at Grissom, who blushed slightly.

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They soon got to the coffee house and Grissom almost lost control as he entered. The karaoke machine where Sara had poured her heart out just yesterday was on the stage, and Grissom remembered how much hurt had been in her song, her eyes, her broken-down spirit. When he had seen this, he had vowed to himself that he would never hurt her again. He had shown weakness then; a single tear had slipped down his face, making him realize what he had gotten himself into; Sara could truly hurt him. If he gave everything he could to her, she could take it all away and leave Grissom to suffer on his own. All of this nagged him as he walked towards the stage slowly. They were the only people in the coffee house besides the staff. Grissom felt as though someone had possessed his body as he walked up the stairs to the machine. He took the microphone as his friends stared. Unbeknownst to him, Catherine had pulled out a video camera, with a tape already half full. Grissom selected his song, still feeling apart from himself. The music started and Grissom snag quietly into the mike, more to himself and her than his friend watching him.

_I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do  
But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know_

_I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you_

Grissom sang with a blank expression on his face, letting his emotions well up inside of him, twisting his stomach into knots. He had heard the song once before, but knew all the notes and words perfectly.

_I'm sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday  
And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
And be the one who catches all your tears  
That's why I need you to hear_

_I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is You,_

_And the reason is you_

_And the reason is you_

_And the reason is you…_

Looking up, still singing quietly, Grissom could almost feel Saras' grief still lingering on the stage. He took it all in mentally and let his words vibrate off the ceiling and back to him.

_I'm not a perfect person  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know_

_I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you_

_I've found a reason to show  
A side of me you didn't know  
A reason for all that I do  
And the reason is you_

Suddenly, Grissom felt better. He knew that he and Sara could not be together; he wasn't emotionally ready. But he could be the greatest friend she had ever had, and Sara would have to be content with that. Grissom ignored the fact that he was feeling awful and went to sit with his friends. Catherine had already hidden her camera and everyone was smiling supportively at Grissom. He sipped on the tea that Nick had ordered him and closed his eyes, smiling sadly into his cup where no one could see.

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A/N: Smokey Pokey! When I began I had no idea what to do with this, but now so much STUFF is coming back. It's short because I might re-do this chapter cause I'm kind of heistant about it... Please tell me what you think before I explode from excitement!


	2. Flashing Red lights and other dangers

A/N: Okay! Thanks to all the happy reviewers, I will now WRITE ON! Thanks, you guys! About the last chapter… sorry to Hoobastank for not giving them credit for their song… not like they're reading this anyway… but there's that. Responses to the latest reviews and ones from the last chapter of High School Days:

Miss Woozy: Thank you! I know that Catherine and Warrick have similar energies and would be perfect together, but just some little scenes with Nick and Catherine have sparked a C/N obsession for me!

Ur sista: Okay… enjoy and please don't hurt me!

LeaH: Well, truth be told, I got all caught up in the bigger romances that I completely forgot about old Greggo! Should I go back and fix that, or do you think people will understand? Thank you so much for all the compliments!

Jules524: Thanks! I hope I'm not letting you down with this so far!

Jamie L: Thank you! I know, GSR is the only way to go! Isn't it funny how Grissom/Sara, Grissom/Sofia, Greg/Sara and Greg/Sofia can ALL be represented with GSR? Nick is such an awesome and wounded character. We definitely need to know more about him! Thanks for reading!

Johnny Raincloud: Thanks for pointing that out. In my experience though, either you get into a click pretty fast or you never do. Thanks again!

NeoAthena: Thanks! Hope you like this new part!

Fredchester: Will do!

Alicat Sanders: Thank you! Hope you like this next chapter!

I do not own CSI or any of its characters FOR THE REST OF THE STORY! If I win the lotto and this changes, I will inform you, but for the WHOLE story… I do not own CSI.

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Sara was in her bed, trying to make herself sleep. Every emotion was still crashing around in her, making it difficult for her to do anything but get long to get out of the house. Unfortunately, Sara knew that if she went out her bedroom door, it would wake her parents up and she would never hear the end of it. So she just huddled underneath her blankets, hugging her knees to her chest. It was nearly 4 AM, so Sara knew there wasn't much she could do about all her excitement. She was contemplating trying to escape from the house anyway when she heard someone call her name. She sat up, alert.

"Sara!" Someone hissed from outside. She slowly slid out from under her covers and went to the window. She looked down and saw a group of people, their faces shadowed in the darkness. She opened her window a crack and stuck her head out.

"Who are you?" she called quietly.

"Are you crazy? It's Catherine and everyone else. Come out here!" Sara laughed.

"It's 4 AM! If I open my bedroom door, my parents will hear and they'll kill me!"

"Come out the window, then!"

"Don't think you can get out of this, Sara!" Warrick called. Sara laughed again and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Opening her window all the way, Sara climbed out. Looking down on her friends, she suddenly realized how high up she actually was.

"Um, guys?" Nick stepped forward.

"Jump."

"Excuse me Nick?"

"Jump. Don't worry, I'll get you."

"Are you serious!" Sara shrieked quietly. Nick stood with arms extended. _This is really stupid,_ Sara thought before flinging herself off the roof. She managed not to scream as she dropped quickly downwards. Sara closed her eyes in a panic, and suddenly Nicks' arms were holding her gently. Fleetingly, her mind flashed an image of Grissom holding her instead of Nick. Laughing excitedly, Sara pecked him on the cheek and stood shakily on the ground. She looked up to see how far she had really fallen and something occurred to her.

"Shit… how am I supposed to get back up there?"

"We'll work it out when we get back… now let's go!" Catherine pulled her into the group and they all started walking.

"Are we going anywhere?"

"Nope… just figured you'd need out of the house." Catherine grabbed Nicks' arm as they walked along. When Sara had seen them together and happy before the dance, she felt depressed and more confused and hurt than ever. Now, she only smiled and imagined Grissom doing the same thing with her tomorrow. Greg walked beside her.

"So, I heard that Veronica was going to try to talk you into going with her tomorrow to Santa Monica?"

"Yeah… how'd you know about that?"

"She invited me too, but I have a big chess tournament today, and since she's leaving today, it won't work. Are you going?"

"No… I figured I should stay here and sort things out."

"With Grissom?"

"Greg!" Warrick joined in the conversation.

"Yeah, Sara. What are you going to do now? I mean, you finally got him all to yourself… now what?"

"What do you mean 'finally'? I just met him three days ago! It does seem like forever, though…" Sara sighed, looking up at the stars.

"Look, Sara… Catherine might kill us for telling you this, but we just came back from 'saving' Grissom."

"What! Why didn't you take me with you?"

"Because we knew that Grissom would probably be as confused as you are happy."

"Were you right?" Sara didn't really want to know the answer, but she asked anyway. Warrick and Greg nodded at her, looking sympathetic. "Great…" Sara sighed. Greg hugged her shoulders and Sara buried her face in his jacket.

"Sara… look, everything will turn out fine, alright?" Warrick said softly, rubbing her back.

"Yeah. Sure." Pulling away, Sara sped up. "Catherine! I found your note." Catherine turned and grinned.

"Oh, that. Well, I suppose it doesn't apply anymore… Grissom doesn't make you feel like he did when you wrote all that stuff, now does he?" Sara thought she saw a flashing red light from under Catherines' coat, but she ignored it.

"I don't know what he make me feel anymore, Cath. When I'm with him, I'm happy for most of it, but when I remember that soon he'll leave, I just get all depressed and cold inside. When I'm not with him, it's easier to imagine that he cares. Only when he kissed me… I wanted it to happen, but I know now that it did happen, Grissom won't act the sane towards me… and that's probably not a good thing. I mean, Grissom is Grissom… he won't tell me how he feels… he'll probably just want to stay friends, even if he knows I want more than that… even if somewhere in his heart, he does too. I just don't know what he does to me, but it's like all the good and bad in the world combined." Sara hadn't realized she was crying until Catherine started wiping the tears from her cheeks. "It's only been three days, and already he's hurt me so much… even when he kissed me, part of me was aching because I knew that that small pleasure would probably lead to so much more pain. I wonder if three days is long enough to break a heart… no. I don't need to wonder. I know it is." Sara looked down, wiping her eyes. "Look, we should really get home. I don't want my parents waking up, and it will probably take a few tries to get me back into the house without opening my front door!" Trying her best to smile, Sara looked back up at the group. Everyone was staring worriedly at her. "Guys- I'm fine. And if I'm not, I will be. I've been through worse," Sara lied. They all started back towards Saras' house in silence.

Greg cleared his throat and then spoke.

"Is he a good kisser?"

"Greg!" Sara laughed.

"Leave it to you to disturb the peace."

"Peace, what peace, that was an awkward silence!"

"Anyway, man, why do you want to know about how Grissom kisses?"

"Nick, that's so disturbing…" They laughed all the way to Sara's house, teasing Greg about Grissom. Soon they reached her door. Her window was still wide open. Looking around, everyone tried to think of an idea. Greg had his brilliant thought first.

"Let's all make a pyramid and Sara can climb up and get into her window!" Catherine was about the protest when Sara held up her hand.

"What'd the worst that could happen?" She asked quietly.

She soon found out.

They all decided in whispers that Warrick and Nick would be on the bottom, Greg and Catherine would kneel on top of them, and then Sara would climb onto them and get onto her roof. Everything started out fine… Greg and Catherine were in their proper positions and Sara carefully climbed onto them. She stood, shaking, and accidentally dug her heel into Gregs' spine. Greg yelped and tugged Warrick's hair and elbowed Catherine in the stomach in the same motion. Warrick collapsed and brought Greg down with him and Catherine fell to the ground, which caused Nick to stand quickly to check on her. This left Sara hanging from the gutter pipe, kicking her feet and swearing profusely. Catherine, clutching her stomach, pointed up at Sara, and Nick quickly stood and grabbed her feet. Sara stepped into his hand and he brought her quickly to the ground. Sara flopped down, panting. Catherine started laughing softly, then Greg, and soon everyone was laughing as quietly as possible. Sara sat up, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Okay… nice one, Greggo." Greg was still curled up, smacking the ground and laughing hysterically. "That didn't work… anyone else got an idea?" Warrick looked around and saw a free bookcase on the sidewalk.

"We got lucky!" He called as he ran over and grabbed it. Carrying it back and grunting from the effort, Warrick propped it up against the house. Nick grabbed the bottom for support and Sara stepped onto the first shelf. It snapped in two, and she found herself once again in Nicks' arms.

"No wonder it was free!" Nick exclaimed. Sara smiled up at him, and then she sheepishly looked over at Catherine.

"Hey, as long as he's saving your life every time you get this close, I don't care." Sara smiled at her.

"Test the shelves before you step, okay Sara?" Sara nodded at Warrick and stepped gingerly onto the next shelf. Thankfully, it didn't break, so Sara stepped up. The rest of the case was fine as she was climbing. She felt it creaking as she stepped onto her roof. She turned to see it collapse to the ground.

"You sure you don't want to come back out?" Nick teased. Sara smiled at everyone.

"Thanks you guys."

"No problem. We'll always be here for you, Sara," Warrick called up, grinning at her. Sara grinned back and crawled into her room and shut the window. She watched her friends walk away, all huddled together and looking at something Catherine was holding. Sara looked at her clock. It was 6 AM. Suddenly exhausted, Sara eased into bed and almost immediately fell asleep. Grissom wasn't so lucky.

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He was still awake, despite the fact that he had been sitting in his room for about three hours now, just staring at the wall. He knew that Sara would probably call around tomorrow, and Grissom knew he would have to say no and persuade her to just be friends without hurting her more than he already had. Still planning what he would say, Grissom lay back uneasily, staring at the ceiling.

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Sara woke up to her parents screaming at each other downstairs and several ceramics chattering. Sara sat up quickly, hoping she wasn't too late to get out. She quickly got dressed, grabbed her backpack and crammed it with clothes and her purse and darted down the stairs. She peeked around the corner. Her father was shoving her mother into the wall, and Sara had learned to tell that this meant the real fighting was just about to begin. Sara bolted out the front door before anyone could notice her or the tears running down her face. Sara pulled out the school directory and walked to a pay phone. She put in fifty cents and dialed. The phone rang several times before someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Could I please talk to Catherine?"

"Sure, may I tell her who's calling?"

"Sara Sidle."

"One moment." Sara heard some shuffling around and soon Catherine picked up the phone.

"Sara, are you crazy? I just got to bed about two hours ago!"

"Catherine," Sara squeaked, trying to hide the fact that she was crying, "I need someplace to go. Can I have your address?"

Catherines' voice immediately became soothing and calm. "Of course Sara. Rush over here, okay?" Catherine gave Sara her address and hung up. Sara sniffed and wiped her tears off her cheeks. She exited the phone booth and began walking towards Catherines' house.

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Catherine flung her door open to find a puffy-eyed Sara holding her backpack.

"Hey Cath." Catherine stepped forward and hugged her friend, who pulled back quickly. "Can we please go to your room before I totally flip out?" Sara asked, closing her eyes. Catherine quickly led Sara to her room. Sara looked around and saw clothes thrown everywhere, a huge TV and computer and a walk in closet full of clothes.

"Nice room," Sara managed before breaking down into sobs. Catherine sat her on the bed and rubbed her back while Sara cried into Catherines' pillow, her body shaking with grief. A few minutes later, Sara sat up, rubbing her eyes. Catherine turned to face her.

"Sara, did Grissom do something?"

"No! It's not Grissom… can you call the gang over here? I need something to preoccupy me."

"First you need to tell me what happened."

"My parents… fight a lot. They've been getting more and more violent… I'm afraid someone will get hurt. I don't like to be there when it happens… which is all the time." Sara laughed a little. "I'm sorry to wake you up."

"It's all right, believe me." Catherine grabbed her cell phone off of her desk. "I'll call every one now. They can get their lazy butts out of bed." She dialed Nick first; Sara could tell because of all the laughing and smiling Catherine did. She hung up, telling Sara that Nick would be right over. Then she called Warrick, who didn't put up too much of a fuss. Greg was last. Sara could only hear Catherine's side of the conversation, but it was easy to fill in the blanks.

"Hey Greg… I know, I just got to bed too… I'm calling because Sara needs everyone over here right now…just for moral support, you can go right back to sleep… we'll wake you up in time for chess… bring a sleeping bag, you whiner! See ya soon. Bye." Sara smiled at Catherine, who hugged her again.

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Soon the doorbell rang and Catherine let in Nick, who was smiling, and Warrick and Greg, who were each carrying a sleeping bag. They all stumbled down the hall, still tired. Catherine led them to her room, where Greg and Warrick immediately collapsed onto Catherines' floor and crawled into their sleeping bags. Catherine disappeared for a moment and entered again with a sleeping bag. Sara took it without any questions asked. Catherine grinned thankfully at her.

"Yeah, yeah…" Sara mumbled. "No funny stuff, though."

"Are you kidding?" Nick asked. "It's enough just to be close to her." Catherine kissed Nick gently on the lips and they lay down on the bed, Nicks' arms wrapped around Catherine, who was nuzzling her head into his chest.

"Do you know how lucky you are to have a relationship like that?" Sara raised her voice a little over Gregs' snoring.

"Yup," Catherine sighed. Sara dove into her sleeping bag. She took a deep shaky breath and Warrick reached over, half asleep, and grabbed her hand. Sara squeezed it and quickly fell asleep.

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Grissom was standing there, ignoring Sara.

"Grissom, please…" Sara was begging, tears streaming down her face.

"Leave me alone," Grissom spat venomously. Sara bowed her head and woke up. She sat up quickly, panting. Looking around, she noticed everyone was still asleep… but Gregs' sleeping bag was empty. She looked around for a clock and found a digital one. It read 11:00. Laughing at herself, Sara eased out of her sleeping bag and went to the bathroom to wash her face. Just was she was leaving, her cell phone rang. She rushed to pick it up before it woke anyone and pressed it to her ear.

"Sara Sidle," she whispered.

"Sara?"

"Greg?" Greg sounded like he had been crying. Sara was already frightened for her friend.

"Oh my god… Greg, what happened?"

"Will you come to the hospital? Just ask for room 208 on floor 3." She heard Greg choke back a sob as he hung up. Sara panicked and ran down the hall and out the front door.

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A/N: Okay, reviews please! Also, if anyone knows how old Sara was when her Mom stabbed her dad would be GREATLY appreciated!


	3. Helpless

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated. Been kind of busy. SORRY TO KEEP YOU WAITING! Thanks to everyone who told me about Sara, but does anyone know the name of the episode so I can read the script and find out for sure? Thanks a lot! Anyway, responses!

WHAT THE HELL: LOL, I am so sorry! Enjoy!

Navear: Thanks! Lordy… if she was 10, I am in SERIOUS trouble!

Islanders-15: Thank you!

CsiM.Csi.CsiNY.Wat: Thanks so much! And thanks for telling me what you know about Sara!

Ur sista: EGH! I'm sorry… well, Grissom sometimes isn't Sane, so DEAL! You'll see! Geez, and stop giving away what I tell you before I write!

Robin: Grissom probably never WOULD sing, but it's easy for me to imagine because I dreamed that he was singing to me, and to quote Hercules "People do crazy things… when they're in love."

Darkdragonferal: Thanks for the Sara info!

FancyjancyGSR: Augh. 13! Are you kidding me! Grr… that throws everything off! But thanks!

Fredchester: lol, I love that you loathe me! It means you care. hugs to you, and thank you!

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Luckily, the hospital was only a few blocks from Catherines' house, so Sara didn't need to tell anyone. She just ran as fast as she could. The hospital soon came into view. Panting, Sara dashed inside. The attendant at the desk looked at her in shock and stuttered, "Can I help you, young lady?"

"Room 208, floor 3!" Sara gasped at her. She wasn't sure if she wanted to scream or cry. The attendant gave her directions and Sara darted off again.

"Don't run!" The woman at the desk called after her, but all Sara could hear was her heavy breathing and her heart rapidly beating.

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She arrived quickly and was admitted into the room. The first thing she saw was Greg sitting in a chair,slumpedweakly in a chairand his eyes red. Sara walked silently to his side.

"Greg- what's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked gently, touching his shoulder. He jerked away in surprise, and then just looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Sara. Hey. Yeah… I'm great."

"Greg, what happened?"

"It's… Veronica. She…" Greg broke off, closing his eyes and taking a deep, shaky breath. "She got in a wreck on her way to Santa Monica." Greg closed his eyes again and covered his face with his hands. Sara looked on, horrified, as her cheerful friend started to cry. She knelt in front of him and hugged his shaking body. He didn't look up. "Go see her, Sara." He whispered. Sara stood, reluctant to leave Greg in such a fragile state. But she could see Veronicas' shadow through the drawn curtains and stepped forward. Taking a deep breath, Sara pulled back the curtain.

Veronica was lying on the bed, IVs' hooked into her arms and a heart monitor beeping slowly. Her face was cut and bruised and her head was bandaged. Sara looked at her hopelessly. Veronica, who was usually so full of life, lay unconscious in the hospital and Sara couldn't do a thing about it. She sat at the foot of the bed, looking at her friend. Greg came in behind her and sat next to her. Sara looked back at Greg, tears flooding her eyes.

"Do you know what happened?"

"Some trucker was drunk and hit Veronica and her brother… he just left them there," Greg shook his head, disbelief etched in his voice. Sara hugged Greg, crying quietly.

"Why her?" She asked, squeezing him tightly and not really expecting an answer. Greg rested his head on top of hers.

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Grissom hadn't slept at all that night. He had stayed up looking out the window almost all night. He was still sitting there, resting his head on the cool glass at about 11:00 in the morning. He still wasn't sure what to do about Sara. He had thought about her so much that he thought her saw her running by his window. Sighing and rubbing his eyes, Grissom looked back out and realized Sara really was there. Her face was tight with worry and she was running as quickly as she could. Grissom watched her run and could still she her when he ran into the hospital. Grissom sat up with a start, worried about Sara. He pulled on his coat and ran out the front door. When he arrived at the hospital, there was a woman reading at the counter.

"Excuse me miss," Grissom asked, looking anxiously at her.

"How can I help you?" She smiled at him.

"Was there a young girl with brown hair that ran in here a moment ago, maybe in a panic about something?" The woman laughed.

"Yeah, she dashed off to room 208, floor 3." Grissom ran through the hall, leaving a very flustered and confused attendant at the desk.

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Grissom barged into the room to see Greg and Sara embracing each other. Sara was crying softly and Greg was comforting her. Grissom ached to be in Gregs' position. Greg whispered in Saras' ear and she kissed him gently on the check. Grissom felt his heart clench with jealousy. Greg stood and went to the person lying on the bed. He stumbled to his knees, and as far as Grissom could tell, was crying. Shocked, he stepped out into the hall to wait for Sara.

Greg wiped his fallen tears from Veronicas' face. "I'll be back soon, okay? I promise I'll come back soon. I… I love you," he whispered into her ear. Sara looked on, tears pouring from her eyes. _Oh, Greg._

"Why does it hurt so badly?" Sara whispered to no one in particular. Greg heard her, however, and turned to look her in the eyes.

"If you care about someone that means that everything they do affects you in someway or another, whether that changes your life for better or worse," Greg sighed and hugged Sara one last time.

"Where are you going?" Sara asked quietly, looking at Veronica.

"I need to take a walk and think," Greg responded, looking at the ground.

"What about your chess competition?"

Greg just blinked at her; pain and fear engulfed his eyes. "You're kidding, right?" Greg walked out, looking over his shoulder at Veronica.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Grissom watched as Greg walked right past him, looking at him but not seeing him. Grissom looked after Greg, and then stepped into the room to see Sara.

She was sitting in a chair next to a hospital bed, clinging to the hand of the person laying in it. Grissom stepped closer and saw that it was Veronica. Sara was crying silently. Grissom, unsure of what to do, stood behind her. After a moment, he placed his hand in her back. Sara jumped up at looked at him for a moment before rushing forward.

"Oh Grissom!" She sobbed, wrapping her arms around his neck. Grissom looked down at her. "I feel so helpless. She's my best friend, and she's just lying there and I can't do anything to help." Grissom decided to hug her comfortingly, which he did. "First I knew you'd probably never want to see me again, my parents started trying to kill each other again, and now Veronica may die?" Sara looked up at him, hardly realizing what she had just said. "I don't know what to do!" Sara gasped, bowing hear head again. Grissom could feel her grief and, without a second thought, kissed her gently on the head and eased her into the chair. Sara curled onto his lap, still crying. Grissom gently rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair.

"Shh… Sara, it's going to be okay… it's alright… I'm here for you… it's okay…" Grissom repeated this for more than half an hour while Sara cried in his lap, clinging to him like he was her last hope.

Sara sat up suddenly, wiping her eyes. "Oh gosh… I'm so sorry, Grissom." She slid out of his lap, shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe myself. I have to go see Catherine… she'll want to know." Sara looked into Grissoms' eyes; they were calm and steady. Sara looked once more at Veronica and then ran through the door, leaving Grissom alone. Grissom put his head in his hands, confused as he had been ten hours ago.

Sorry it's so short… I just auditioned for "Beauty and the Beast" so I'm really nervous about that and I need to get some sleep before I have a SPAZ ATTACK! Tell me what you think and if you know the name of the episode where Sara tells about her parents.


	4. Memories, Injuries and a Spork

A/N: Continuing to have a great time writing this… BTW, we are going with Sara's parents going wacko when she is 14… and I will fill in the blanks on my own… YAY!  
And since I am writing more than three parts most likely, should I have a  
series name? If so, I would love suggestions! Thanks a bundle! Also, a warning for Sofia fans, although she in not in here, there is suggested bashing.

Islanders-15: I dunno if I should kill Veronica or not… thanks so much, and  
I got in!

WHAT THE HELL: Veronica, truth be told, is my little sis, and she wanted me  
to write her in with Greg because she thinks he is a "sezzy beast". I  
couldn't really bear to hurt one of the gang, ya know? I lurve everyone too  
much! I'm debating whether to kill her or not…

Sarasanders5: Thanks bunches! Evil Sara doesn't say her age… oh well.

Jamie L.: LOL, thanks a lot! I know, stuff like "Invisible Evidence" makes  
me do a happy dance around my living room. I know! It's GRISSOM SARA  
FOREVER! Thanks again!

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Sara didn't know where to go: if she went home, her parents would do  
god-knows-what to her. She didn't want to be a bother the Catherine any  
more, but she really had no one else. So, fighting tears, she slowly walked  
back to her friends' house. When she got there, the door was closed, but not  
locked, so Sara just walked inside. Everything was quiet.  
"Cath?" She called. No one answered. Cautiously walking up the stairs, Sara  
pushed Catherines' bedroom door open to find that Warricks' sleeping bag was  
gone and the bed was made. Sara felt like screaming. She sat dejectedly on  
the bed and noticed a note attached to the pillow. She leaned over on her  
elbows and read it.

_Hey Sweeties! Nick convinced us (I don't know how) to go on a one night camping trip, so we are over at Camp Williams Resort & Campground. Head on over if  
you can. We had to leave early or traffic would be hell! It's just me, Nick,  
and Warrick right now… we couldn't find Grissom, so if you guys do, would  
you tell him to come over here? Bring a sleeping bag! We took the bus, you can too if you can't get a ride  
Hope to see you soon!  
Catherine, Nick, Warrick_

Sara grinned at the kiss mark that, she assumed, Catherine had left on the  
paper. She sat there for a while, knees to her chest, staring at the wall.  
She couldn't go home. She couldn't just stay in Catherines' house. And if  
definitely wouldn't do her any good to just sit around the hospital and wait  
for Veronica to wake up. Sighing, she stood and headed home. She wouldn't  
have to go inside; her sleeping bag was outside in the shed.

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Although her parents were not yelling at each other, she could sense the  
venomous feelings coming from her house. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and quietly crept into her shed.

Sara slid the door shut behind her, looking around. The cracks in the shed let in little beams of light that barely gave her enough to see by. There really was nothing special about it, but Sara could tell that nothing bad had happened in here. The air was easier to breathe; she didn't feel like she was trapped in some horror film. She couldn't help but smile; she could see the dust drifting gently through the air. When was the last time anyone had been in there? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Everything seemed... okay. Still breathing deeply, Sara opened her eyes. All she could feel was peace.

"Veronica's going to be okay," she whispered into the thick silence.

"Grissom will open up to me."

"My parents will love each other."

Feeling the happiest she had in a few days, Sara stepped forward to get her sleeping bag. She reached forward to grab it and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her name written in permanent marker on a cardboard box. _Saras' things_. Her breath caught in her throat. She hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed the box. Slowly, she pulled it open and the first thing she saw was a photo album. Smiling, she yanked it open. Her three-year-old self was smiling up at her, waving and laughing. Sara laughed at herself and flipped the page.

"What are you doing?" Sara turned quickly, cringing at being caught. It was Greg standing in the door of the shed holding two sleeping bags. Grissom stood behind him, observing.

"Greg! Grissom! What are you doing here?"

"I got to the hospital after you left and Grissom told me you had gone over to Catherines'. We found the note and figured you'd be over here." Gregs' voice was still a little quiet, but he seemed better.

"You okay, Sara?" Grissom called softly. Sara looked up at him.

"Depends on what you're talking about," she said, looking coldly at him. Suddenly, she realized; she was just assuming that Grissom was going to avoid her. So far, he had done nothing to her but let her cry on his shoulder. Shaking her head, she looked back at Grissom.

"I'm sorry, Griss. Yeah, I'm doing fine."

"What are you looking at?" Greg asked.

"Some pictures of me when I was little. Do you guys wanna see?" They stepped forward to look.

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Ten minutes later, they were just finishing flipping through the photos. Sara looked back into the box. Some of her baby dresses were on the top. She pulled one out; there was a little speck of blood on it. Sara remembered her mother telling her that she had fallen at the park, but even that little bit of blood jolted Sara back to the present. Suddenly, the peace in the shed seemed to be invaded; it was as if her childhood fears had escaped from that box and came crashing down on her. Suddenly panicked, Sara stood, throwing her dress into the box. Greg and Grissom looked up at her in shock, but Sara hardly noticed. She just darted out of the shed as quickly as she could.

Panting in the bright sun, Sara sat leaning against the shed. Greg ran out and quickly knelt beside her.

"Sara! You okay?"

"Yeah, Greg... I'm fine." She smiled. Grissom walked out, holding Saras' sleeping bag. She reached up to take it from him and accidentally grabbed his hand. It shouldn't have made her feel guilty, not after kissing Grissom, but it still did. Grissom obviously wasn't ready to be in a relationship and she didn't want to rush him; she would have to be okay with just friends. Smiling at him, Sara took her sleeping bag without a word. Grissom looked a little worried, but Sara disregarded this. "Come on, guys! Let's get out of here!" She charged up the hill with the boys close behind.

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At the top of the hill, Sara sat at the bus stop to wait for Greg and Grissom. Greg came over the hill first, the sadness almost completely gone from his face. Grissom came into sight a few minutes after Greg, looking at his feet and seeming to be deep in though. The bus pulled past Grissom to the stop. "Come on, Griss!" Sara yelled, climbing onto the bus. Grissom looked up, shocked, and ran towards the bus. Worried, Sara stood at the door until Grissom got there.

"Come on, Grissom!" She muttered, leaning out of the bus to watch him get on. Her hand slipped off the railing and she shrieked as she fell off the bus.

"Sara!" Without thinking, Grissom put his hand on the small of Saras' back. Sara looked up at him from his arms. They were staring into each others' eyes; Sara felt her knees go weak. Grissom righted her, still looking at her face. He reached out and gently brushed her hair from her face; shivers ran down her spine at just the slight touch of his fingers. Grissom boarded the bus and, blushing slightly, Sara followed him. She looked around the bus; it was almost completely filled. Greg was sitting next to the last empty seat on the bus, the sleeping bags stacked neatly on his lap.

"Go take a seat, Griss," Sara offered, reaching up to grab the bar. Grissom, however, caught her hand before she could.

"Sara, you need to rest. Why don't you sit down?" Sara smiled, barely aware that Grissom had naturally become protective of her. She sat, still smiling at him, but worried on the inside.

_What's up with Grissom? It's so hard to tell what he wants. _She turned to Greg, who was fighting the urge to close his eyes.

"Greg," Sara lightly touched his arm. "Veronica wouldn't get better just because you're awake; go back to sleep." He smiled at her, but his eyes were sad. He leaned over and put his head in Saras' lap. She looked down at his worried face and absentmindedly stroked his hair. _Poor Greg. First I wake him up then Veronica does… did Grissom sleep at all? He's impossible to read,_ she thought, glancing at Grissom. He was looking at Greg, but he was obviously not in the moment; he was thinking about something else.

_Why did I do all that? I want so much to be with Sara… but it just seems impossible. I don't know why… we both have so much hurt… I don't know if I can deal with both of our troubles. _He glanced at Sara, who was cradling Gregs' head in her lap and looking out the window. Grissom automatically felt jealous. Realizing this, he too looked out the window.

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"Grissom… what's wrong?" Sara held his face in her hand as he cried.

"I don't know what to do… I just don't know…" he was breathing heavily, trying to stop himself from crying.

"Grissom." Saras' voice was stern, but soothing. "Whatever it is, you don't need to do it alone. I'll always be here for you." Grissom nodded and Greg mumbled something, jerking Grissom awake.

"Bananas?" Grissoms' eyes shot open and he looked down at Greg, who was sleeping with his head resting on Grissoms' lap. Panicking, Grissom held his breath as Gregs' eyes fluttered open. Greg smiled at Grissom for a second; then he lifted his head slightly and looked down. Sitting up quickly and holding his hands up in an "I surrender" position, Greg started stammering.

"Dude… so wrong… Geez, Grissom! I… ew!" Shaking his head, Grissom stood and bumped right into Sara.

"Ouch. You're awake?" She asked, smiling at him. He nodded, remembering his dream.

"What happened, Sara?"

"You were practically falling asleep standing up, so all I had to do was lift Gregs' head and you sat down and went to sleep; Greg didn't even wake up."

"Sara! How could you do that to me?" Greg whined, still blinking sleepily. "If Catherine finds out I slept in Grissoms' lap…"

"Greg. Calm down. I'm not going to tell, and I have a good feeling Grissom won't be too anxious to share, either." They both glared at her and she just laughed. "Hey look, we're here!" They all looked out the bus window. A large sign reading _Camp Williams Resort & Campground_ was the first thing they saw; then they spotted the lake and the trees. Saras' breath caught in her throat as she watched the lake gleam in the sun. Grissom looked back at Sara and saw her eyes sparkling with excitement. _She's so beautiful,_ Grissom found himself thinking. The bus pulled to a stop and the trio jumped out, Greg lugging their three sleeping bags. Sara and Grissom dashed over to him to grab their own gear and he smiled thankfully at them.

"Come on!" With a sudden burst of energy, Sara darted forward, weaving through the trees. "Catherine!" She called, ignoring the dirty looks from the other campers. "Nick! Warrick! Shit!" Sara tripped over a large rock and went tumbling down a hill. Using her sleeping bag to protect her from the hard ground, she hit the bottom with a crunch and blacked out.

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"Sara… are you awake?" She opened her eyes slowly. Grissom was holding her in his arms. She nodded, then winced from the pain in her neck. Grissom looked worried.

"Grissom- where are we?"

"Catherine heard you calling. She went to get a park official."

"What?" She sat up. Grissom looked at her, bewildered. "I don't want to ruin this trip!"

"Sara. If you're hurt, no one will want to stay. We'll all want to go to the hospital with you. It's really not your fault."

"Where's Greg?"

"He went with Nick and Warrick to the tent."

"Oh… I'm sorry, Grissom."

"Are you always this clumsy?" He chuckled. Sara groaned and held her head and, worried again, he gently helped her settle back into his arms.

"Just around you," she sighed comfortably. Grissom smiled, resting his chin on her head. It felt so good to hold her. Sara snuggled into his chest, resting one hand on his chest and wrapping the other around his waist. Grissom felt warm underneath her. She just wanted to go to sleep and stay like this forever. Surprising himself, Grissom kissed her gently on the head. Sara felt his lips and sat up quickly, searching his face. He looked back at her. She smiled and leaned closer.

A stick snapped and they both turned quickly to see Catherine hiding something behind her back and grinning apologetically.

"Sorry, guys. I didn't want to disturb you. The ranger is here. Sara, are you okay?" Hesitant to get up, Sara didn't answer. The ranger walked past Catherine to Sara.

"I heard you took a fall," she said quietly, looking into Saras' eyes. Sara nodded, feeling the pain again in her neck. "Do you hurt anywhere?"

"My neck, a little." The ranger looked for a moment.

"You just tweaked something. Get one of your friends to rub it tonight, or your boyfriend here." Sara waited for Grissom to say something along the lines of "I'm not her boyfriend," but he remained silent. "Have you tried to stand yet?"

"Not yet." She stood, her legs shaking beneath her. Grissom stood quickly, supporting her from behind. Smiling and blushing, Sara stood upright. Grissom slowly released her and she stepped forward.

"Everything seems fine. Have a great night, okay?" The ranger smiled at Sara and left. Catherine stepped forward and hugged Sara.

"Be careful from now on, okay? We don't want to send you home with a broken nose!" Sara smiled at her friend. "Let's get back to camp; the boys are waiting."

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"Hey Sara!" Warrick called, waving as she approached her friends. Catherine ran ahead, leaving Sara and Grissom behind. Nick stood, opening his arms as Catherine ran into them. He picked her up and twirled her around, then placed her gently back on the ground, kissing her on the lips. Catherines' face was flushed. Greg elbowed Warrick and nodded towards Grissom and Sara. They were both smiling at Cath and Nick. Of course, they didn't know it, but Greg and Warrick watched as Sara glanced at Grissom and looked away quickly, not seeing Grissom do the same to her.

"Kodak moment," Warrick laughed quietly.

"Do you think Catherine got that?"

"Nah, they would have noticed for sure."

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"Warrick, don't you dare!" Ignoring Sara, Warrick splashed water into her face. Laughing, Sara splashed back. Nick grabbed her from behind. "Nick!" She gasped right before he dropped her into the water. Catherine jumped onto Warricks' back and Warrick, surprised, dunked under, trying to loose Catherine. It was only 4, so the group had decided to go for a swim in the lake. Grissom was floating gently in the water while the other four were having a water fight. Sara was looking over at Grissom every so often and noticed that Catherine was getting that evil look in her eyes.

"Cath…" she swam quickly towards Grissom, noticing that Catherine was headed his way. Catherine pulled her arm back, preparing to tackle Grissom, and Sara stood quickly to block him. He sat up just in time to see Catherine launch herself at Sara who came pummeling towards him. Splashing him back into the water, Sara crashed into him. Grissom surfaced, spitting out water. Sara came up soon after, sputtering.

"Catherine!" She shrieked, laughing. Grissom, however, was concerned.

"Catherine! Sara just got hurt a few hours ago! You need to be careful around her!" Catherine looked at Grissom, shocked. Shaking his head, Grissom just resumed his floating. It was obvious that Catherine didn't take it personally, for a moment later she shoved him underwater and swam away, laughing like crazy.

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Later that night, Nick was sitting next to their blazing fire, Catherine leaning against his chest. Warrick was sitting on a stump, quietly playing a soothing melody on the harmonica. Greg was running from tree to tree, hyper from the 10 plus Mountain Dews he had consumed. Sara was sitting on a log, watching as a can of beans cooked over the fire. Grissom was lying on the ground beside Saras' log, watching the stars. The beans were soon done and Sara reached out to grab them. Catherine noticed and went into the tent to get utensils. She came back and handed everyone something in plastic wrapping. Sara opened hers. It was a Spork. Without knowing why, Sara panicked, snapped it in half and threw it into the fire. No one noticed but Grissom, who raised one eyebrow at her. Sara just shrugged. They all quietly ate.

"Hey Warrick, where did you learn how to play the harmonica?"

"Well, I don't really. I only know how to play one song that I made up."

"Play it again?" Catherine asked. Warrick looked confused, but stood to obey. Soon, the calming music filled the campsite again. Sara got up, walking towards Warrick. He had his eyes closed and looked deep in concentration. She swayed by herself to the music, unaware of the tussle going on behind her.

Nick and Catherine had pinned a protesting Grissom to the ground, both of them wearing a wicked grin.

"Go dance with her, man," Nick whispered. Grissom just looked up at them.

"Go on, Grissom…" Greg even snapped out of his sugar-induced coma to say a few words.

"You better dance with her, or I'll tell what happened on the bus." Grissom sat up quickly, knocking Catherine off of him.

"You were all assuming I wasn't going to on my own," he said, smiling at their astounded faces.

Twirling alone, Sara kept her eyes closed. She felt some ones' arms wrap gently around her, swaying her to the music.

"Grissom," she breathed, not trusting herself to open her eyes in case she was imagining it. He didn't respond. He just held her close as she hugged him tightly.

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A/N: Okay, Camp Williams Resort & Campground is a real campground in LA, but I don't know if they have a lake or not… bother. Well, tell me what you think. I think this part of the story may be coming to a close, so like I said, any ideas or suggestions would help me out a lot! Just tell me what you want to see!


	5. Busted

A/N: I will WRITE ON in hopes that people will start telling me what you think. Even just "hi you suck" or something would make me happy! Anyways, hope those of you who are reading are enjoying it so far! You guys mean the world to me and you are the reason I keep writing! This chapter is for orangebronco, who is a great writer and a sweetheart, and Jamie L. and Islanders-15, who have stuck with me from the very beginning. WARNING: Lots and lots of fluff here!

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Sara couldn't sleep. It wasn't that the ground was too hard, or that Gregs' snoring was keeping her awake; it was the fact that Grissom had come so close to kissing her again… in fact, he had kissed her on the head. And they had danced again…to Sara, it was like she was trying to keep a list in her head of all the things Grissom had done on his own today; he had followed her to the hospital, let her cry on his shoulder, caught her when she fell, let her sit down instead of him, held her in his arms, kissed her head, come close, so close, to kissing her again, become protective when Catherine tackled her and had danced with her. Rolling over, Sara tried to relax but she couldn't. She trashed around restlessly for a moment, then got up and dragged her sleeping bag out of the tent.

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The stars were all shining brightly and there was no moon. Sara was staring up at it appreciatively when she tripped over something and fell. Moaning, she tried to sit up and found that Grissom was holding her again.

"Sara! Are you alright?" She looked behind her and saw Grissoms' sleeping bag was what she had tripped over, probably with Grissom in it.

"Griss… did I kick you?" She groaned softly, rubbing her head.

"No, I'm fine… are you?"

"Yeah… I'm just a little tired," Sara yawned widely. "Sorry… I probably have bean breath." Grissom just smiled at her. Sara stood and leaned over to grab her sleeping bag. She held it up and noticed that the zipper had come off when she had fallen. "Shit…" the whole sleeping bag was now like a blanket. Grissom had already crawled into his bag and looked over at Sara.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing… my sleeping bag just broke," she said, her attitude deflated. She held it out for Grissom to see. Everything was quiet for a moment.

"Grissom?"

"Come here, Sara." Grissoms' voice was breathy and a bit hesitant. Sara crawled over, dragging her sleeping bag behind her. Grissom was standing and holding out his sleeping bag to Sara. She shook her head.

"You'll freeze."

"So would you, without a sleeping bag."

"Well, it's my fault to begin with." Grissom seemed to be deep in thought. Then he slowly unzipped his sleeping bag completely. Sara watched as he spread it out on the ground.

"May I?" He reached for her sleeping bag. Curious, Sara handed it to him. He spread that out over his and looked nervously at Sara. She stared for a moment, and then she got it.

_Holy shit._

"Is… this all right with you?" Grissoms' voice was shaking a little, but his eyes beamed with sureness. "This way neither of us will get cold." He slid in between the two sleeping bags and turned over away from Sara, ignoring how fast his heart was beating. He felt Sara slide in slowly next to him about a foot away. Relieved, Grissom turned onto his back to look at the stars. He didn't notice Sara gazing at him, a dreamlike look on her face.

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Grissom was just nodding off when he felt Sara edge closer. Unsure of what to do, Grissom held his breath the held still. He could feel her sit up and look at him. Then her fingers gently touched his cheek. Grissom suddenly had an image of himself grabbing her hand and kissing her fingers. She lay back down, and Grissom relaxed. Then her hand traced along his arm and into his hand. She intertwined their fingers and squeezed his hand gently. Automatically, Grissom squeezed hers back. She shrieked and jumped up, her hands covering her mouth.

"Dammit, Grissom! I thought you were asleep!" He looked at her horror-struck face for a moment.

"Sara… you don't have anything to be embarrassed about."

"I was taking advantage of you…" Grissom raised an eyebrow and Sara glared. "Not like that, and you know it."

"Sara…" Grissom was at a loss for words, so he did the only thing he could think of. He reached out and gently grabbed her hand. Sara just watched. He kissed the back of her hand softly and she eased down. Grissom slowly pulled her closer, watching as she gazed up at him, trust filling her eyes. He paused for a moment, and then wrapped his arms around her. Sara continued to gaze into his eyes, her own eyes widening. She snaked her arms around his waist and squeezed him tight. Looking into each others' eyes, they touched foreheads gently, never looking away from each other. Sara soon drifted off to sleep, her arms still wrapped around Grissom.

"Sara," he whispered. She didn't move. He shifted slightly and touched her lips to his. It felt so good just lying there with her. He closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.

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Birds were chirping, and Grissom woke up. The bright sunlight streamed through the trees and he let his head fall to the side. That's when he saw Sara, a small smile on her face as she slumbered. Grissom smiled and kissed her gently. He sat up slowly; Sara grumbled and let go of his waist, still sleeping. Grissom resisted the urge to lie back down, but he knew soon everyone would be waking up and he didn't want them to get the wrong idea. He smiled, and then looked around the campsite.

Catherine was sitting on a log about three feet away, looking innocently up at the sky and sipping on a mug of coffee.

Grissom jumped up, stammering.

"Catherine… I… no, we didn't… you see, her sleeping bag… it was cold… did anyone else see?" Catherine smiled a little and shook her head.

"Nah, they're still asleep. And if you're worried that I'm going to tell? I'm not. I think it's great you're finally accepting her. She's cried enough already." Grissom was confused, but thankful. Catherine smiled and continued to drink her coffee.

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The cold water trickled down Grissoms' back as he surfaced. He was washing off in the lake before anyone woke up. He swam over to the bank and grabbed the bar of soap. Walking back to the middle of the lake, he got ready to go back under when he heard someone humming. He slowly and silently turned to see Sara walking towards the lake, looking down at her feet and wrapped in a towel. Grissom tried to call out, but his voice was stuck in his throat. He was Sara start to take off her towel and he quickly dunked under the water. He couldn't hear anything, but he was sure Sara was in the water by now. Slowly, he stuck only his head out of the water. Sara was faced away from him, waist-deep in the water and leaning over to splash her face with water. She was still humming happily. Grissom smiled as he watched her go under, and then realized she could come up facing the other way. Quickly, he swam towards the shore. However, before he got anywhere close, Sara came back up for air. Grissom stood, froze, and then slowly turned. Sara was staring at his with her mouth wide open. Her body was under the water, so all Grissom could see were her wide eyes and shocked expression. He tried to speak again, but all that came out was a sigh.

"What… what are you doing here, Grissom?"

"Washing," Grissom managed, clearing his throat. Sara continued to stare at him. He watched as her eyes slipped from his eyes to trail down his chest and back up to his eyes. Grissom, feeling self conscious, lowered himself into the water and started to swim towards Sara.

"Don't come over here, I'm naked!" She yelped.

"Sara?"

"Oh shit! Is that Catherine?"

"I think so…" Grissom saw Saras' face pale.

"She… she's going to get the wrong idea."

"What can we do?"

"Guys?"

Slowly, they both turned to the bank and saw Catherine staring in disbelief. They both shook their head at her, gaping like fishes.

"Cath, don't-"

"Seriously, please-"

"We didn't-"

"It was an accident-"

"The secrets I keep for you guys." Sighing, Catherine walked back to the camp.

"What… does she mean, Griss?"

"Well, she sort of… woke up before I did this morning."

"Are you _kidding _me?" She hissed.

"She promised not to tell anyone."

"Is there anything she doesn't know about us?"

_Us._

Grissom tried to focus, but all of the sudden, all he could think of was that word. Us. It was just a little word, but it made them like one. Grissom shook his head, smiling, and tried to focus on Sara. She had, however, obviously realized he was spacing out and had scrambled out of the water as was now safely wrapped in a towel. Grissom stared up at her. She smiled a little at him and walked away. Grissom just floated in the water for a moment, then got up and went after her.

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A./N: Yay! Me lurved the fluff! Sorry it's so short, but there's only so much fluff a person can take in one chapter! Maybe more on the way… who know?


	6. Into the woods and new found love

A/N: Alrighty, I'm giving Grissom quite a few chances to prove his love in this chapter. There is some tough stuff in here, so just be warned… also, I'm doing a romance change in here… hope people don't mind, but my mind has been changed! And this is mostly a GSR story, I hope you don't mind if other parts change a little… And I'm getting near to the end of this part of the story… there will be one more rather short part afterwards, and then I'll be all done! BTW, I'd love any ideas for a new fiction since this one will probably be complete within a month or two…

Veromuxa: well, I know… my focus for this story is Grissom and Sara! I am OBSESSED with GSR, and I wanted my first fic to be about them… if you love the Greggo, check out "Do you know the Muffin man?" It's all about Greg and Sara, pretty much. I'm sorry, and I'll try to focus more on him in the future or in another story!

Islanders-15: Thank you so much! And thanks for always being one of the first to review; it means a lot to me that you have stuck with me from my first fan fic!

Fredchester; Geez! Give me a heart attack! All I read was the first line, then I went upstairs and totally flipped out to my mom "one of the people who has given me really sweet reviews since the beginning of my story suddenly hates me and I don't know what to do, should I stop writing?" On and on… finally, half an hour later, I come down and finish reading it and feel like such a ditz! Thanks so much!

Ara Goddess of the Broken: cool fanfic name! Yeah, that would be perfect for it… but then should I rename my first part of the story? GSR ROCKS MY SOCKS!

Heather: lol, thanks!

Well, I hope everyone enjoys!

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"Catherine!" Sara called, panicking. She had been looking down at the ground when she walked away from Grissom, and it wasn't until she had been walking for about a half hour that she realized she had no idea where she was. Stumbling in her haste, Sara clutched her towel to her chest. She ran, looking around for other tents. She then realized that anyone near by would hear her shouting. Panting, she slumped onto a log, fighting tears. "Dammit." She didn't want to stay here forever, but if she kept going she could loose her way completely. Shivering, Sara waited for a moment.

"Hey there little girl." Sara gasped, then turned to see a man who was about twenty standing over her, his eyes burning with a hungry passion. "Are you lost?"

"No, please…" Sara clutched her towel tighter.

"Well, why don't you come with me?" He reached out and grabbed her arm. Sara tried to yank away, but he held fast. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you…" he grabbed her roughly on the chin and kissed her. Sara pressed her lips together, whimpering in terror. She felt frozen to the spot. Licking his lips, the man grabbed her from behind and forcefully started dragging her away.

"Let go of me!" She shrieked. She tried to hit him but he had her arms pinned to her side. "Help me!" She screamed, tears running down her face. The man threw her angrily to the ground.

"Shut up, you little whore!" He hissed, leaning over. She could smell beer on his breath.

"Please!" Sara gasped through her sobs. The man smirked at her and suddenly staggered backwards. Sara stood quickly and saw Grissom had leapt on his back and was choking him.

"Grissom!"

"Run, Sara!" Sara was frozen in place and could only watch as the man slammed Grissom into a tree. He fell to the ground, groaning. The man turned back to Sara, reaching out to grab her. Sara backed away, horrified, and he grabbed her by the neck. She tried to scream but she could hardly breathe. Suddenly, the man fell to the side, releasing Sara. She looked through her tears and saw Grissom standing with a large, bloodied rock in his hands. Sara choked on her tears and ran to Grissom. He held her close as she sobbed into his chest.

"He just grabbed me!"

"I know, sweetie, I know…"

"He was gonna…"

"You're alright now, Sara… everything is fine…" Sara gasped for breath as Grissom stroked her hair.

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She didn't know how, but soon she was back at the campground, shaking under a sleeping bag. She couldn't stop crying. She was all alone, which was normal for her, but now it was worse because it gave her time to remember. She whimpered as her memory replayed what had happened. She covered her face with her hands.

"No, no, no, no, no…"

Grissom sat outside, listening as Sara sobbed. Catherine, Nick, Warrick and Greg had all walked to the sheriffs' office to report the attempted rape. Grissom was staying to make sure Sara was okay. When she started whimpering, Grissom stood slowly and entered the tent quietly. Saras' face was twisted in pain. Grissoms' heart ached for her and he felt helpless. He lay down next to Sara and kissed the back of her head gently. She stopped crying for a moment and turned to face him.

"Oh, Grissom!" Crying again, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Grissom didn't know what to do. He held her gently and closed his eyes. It was like her pain was transferring into him. Sara looked up at him, her eyes watery and wide with confusion.

"Grissom?" He didn't respond. "Why did you do what you did?" He looked into her deep brown eyes.

"Because…" hesitant to share what he felt, he turned his head away. He could feel Saras' disappointment though, and he couldn't bear to be the cause of that. He turned back, determined to tell Sara what he was feeling in his heart.

"Because you mean everything to me. I didn't have anyone until I met you, and now I have friends and someone I care about… you. Because I would rather die than see you hurt. Because I think I…"

He couldn't say it.

"… I need you more than anything." Sara just stared into his eyes, silent. Grissom watched her face anxiously for a response. Her eyes brightened and a small smile came to her face. Relieved, Grissom moved closer and kissed her. Sara struggled at first; her lips hurt from the unwilling kiss the man in the woods had taken; then she relaxed as Grissom kissed her gently. He seemed to know she was in pain and was doing all he could to stop it. His words had barely sunken in. Sara pulled away, looking into his eyes again. Did he regret what he had said? All she could see in his eyes was love. She grabbed his curly hair and pulled him back for another kiss. They held each other like they had no one else.

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Several hours later, Grissom was kissing Saras' head repeatedly, rubbing her back to sooth her to sleep; he didn't want to last thoughts awake to be of the incident from earlier. Sara fell asleep in his embrace, smiling.

Sitting in the sheriffs' car, Catherine stared out the window, thinking. _Grissom risked his life for Sara… they are so perfect… Nick and I aren't like that. Why aren't we like that?_ Nick kissed her neck and she turned to look at him. His eyes showed that he was scared, but his face told Catherine that he was trying to make her not worry.

"Do you think she's okay, Nick?"

"She can take anything that comes her way, Cath."

"Saras' strong," Greg said from the front seat.

"She'll be all right, especially since Grissom is there." Catherine looked at Warrick, who was grinning innocently.

"Nick? Can we switch places for a moment?" Sliding across to sit next to Warrick, she grabbed him by the front of the shirt and hissed in his ear, "Warrick, what did you see and what do you know?" Her hand was touching his skin, leaving her feeling a little light-headed for reasons she couldn't explain.

"Exactly what you saw and you know," he muttered into her ear. Catherine pulled back, amazed.

"Greg?"

"I didn't mean to!" he automatically yelped. Then, cringing, he turned and smiled at Catherine. "Yes?"

"You saw too! Nick…" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, Cath."

"They are going to kill me!"

"Yeah, but at least they're happy!" Greg said cheerily from the front. Catherine felt like she had let her friends down, even though it wasn't her fault they had seen everything.

"So, did they… do anything? I mean, they slept in the same sleeping bag, and they were swimming together with no clothes on…"

"Greg, obviously you weren't close enough to hear what they said. Both times it was just a coincidence; Saras' bag broke so they were sharing so they would both be warm. Sara just decided to go wash at the same time Grissom did."

"You're really gonna believe that, Cath?"

"Yeah, Warrick, I am!" Angrily, Catherine jammed her elbow onto the window frame. She didn't know why Warrick questioning her hurt her so deeply. Staring out the widow, Catherine tried to think.

_All right, so maybe I don't really believe it… but it just seems like such a perfect relationship, forming all from accidents… and why the hell is Warrick affecting me like this?_

Sighing, Catherine closed her eyes and waited to get back to the campground.

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Grissom heard a car pull up to the campsite. Moving slowly so as not to disturb the sleeping Sara, he got up and went outside. Catherine jumped out of the car and ran into his arms. Grissom hugged her, knowing she was beyond worried for Sara.

"Is she all right? Is she awake?"

"She fell asleep. She's all right now… we shouldn't wake her up just yet; she could use some rest." Catherine nodded, wide eyed, and stepped away as Nick came to hug her. Nick looked at her, his eyes full of pain, as she stood facing away from him and looking down at the ground.

"Are… you guys okay?"

"Well, Cath is mad at everyone for…" Nick hesitated.

"Yes?"

"Well, Warrick, Greggo and I kind of… saw you and Sara sleeping together and in the lake…" Grissom tried not to respond, but he could tell that his face had become red.

"Everyone saw?" Nick nodded, looking at Catherine.

"Grissom?" Grissom turned quickly and ran to Sara. Catherine listened.

"Where did you go?"

"The others are here now… it's okay."

"Don't… leave again, please. I don't want to be alone."

"It's all right, Sara. I'm not going to leave you, all right?"

"Thank you Grissom… I-"

"Shh… go back to sleep, sweetie."

Catherine felt tears come to her eyes. Grissom popped his head out of the tent and replayed what everyone already knew; he was going to stay with Sara for a few more hours. Catherine ran towards the lake.

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Catherine wasn't sure why she was feeling so sad; when she thought about how screwed up life was, Grissom and Saras' relationship seemed like an example, or something too prefect that nothing could touch, nothing could break. Sighing and rubbing her eyes, Catherine started to stand.

"Hey." She turned in surprise.  
"Please don't be mad at me, Cath," Nick whispered, looking into her eyes.  
"I'm not really that mad, Nicky. It's just that I really don't want anything to get in their way... you know? It's just so great. Not like us." The words were out of her mouth before she knew what she had said. Nick didn't say anything. He looked a little shocked, but he seemed to agree. Awkwardly, Catherine walked back to camp. Nick followed close behind, looking at the ground.

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"Rick," Greg jerked his head towards Catherine and Nick, who were standing away from each other, each looking deep in thought.  
"So... maybe she's still mad at us." Warrick sounded a little scared. He cringed as Catherine ran forward. Prepared for the worst, Warrick closed his eyes... and Catherine kissed him on the cheek. Surprised, Warrick opened his eyes. Catherine pulled back, shocked. _What the hell was that?_ Staring into Warricks' eyes, she saw that he looked as astounded as she did. Awkwardly, and not breaking eye contact with Warrick, Catherine kissed Greg on the cheek as well. Warrick watched and surprisingly felt a pang of jealousy. Confused, he looked away.

"Um… sorry, guys… I was just feeling a little weird…" her voice was uncharacteristically gentle sounding. Warrick didn't trust himself to look up at her face. Catherine stared at him, waiting. When he continued to look at the ground, she sighed and started to walk away.

"I'm going for a walk, guys."

"No, Cath!" Warrick yelled, reaching out to grab her arm. She tried to step away, but that only left Warrick holding her hand. She turned and he pulled her close to him. Catherine looked into his eyes. "They probably haven't found that guy yet… don't go." Sitting next to Warrick, Catherine looked at Nick, who was watching them, smiling a little.

"Catherine… can I talk to you?" Catherine stood unwillingly and followed Nick a short distance from the campsite. He turned and looked straight into her eyes.

"Nick, about what I said earlier…"

"You were right. We should just be friends, Cath… I know we can. And besides, I'd feel guilty staying with you after seeing the way he looks at you."

"Nick… what are you talking about?"

"You have feelings for him and you don't even realize it, do you?"

"You're not making sense…"

"You'll figure it out. You're a great girl, Cath. You'll get him. And… we can still be friends?"

"Of course, Nicky." Hugging him felt a little strange, but she did it anyway. When she pulled away, he was smiling.

"Race you to the campsite?"

Catherine didn't answer. She just darted off.

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She arrived first at the campsite, bright-eyed and breathless. Greg was cooking a hot dog on the fire and Warrick was lying on his back, watching the clouds. Grissom and Sara, she assumed, were still in the tent. Feeling the happiest she had all day, Catherine dropped herself beside Warrick. Her head landed on his chest and she sighed. He looked at her in surprise, and then looked back up at the sky. Catherine stared at his face, feeling her heart beating quickly.

"If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way," she sang under her breath as she grabbed Warricks' hand. He squeezed her hand and she couldn't help but smile. _Why didn't I ever feel this way with Nick? I liked him from the minute I first saw him… because of his looks. But we'll be better off as friends… I don't know if I've ever felt this way._ Comfortable, Catherine closed her eyes.

Catherine had almost fallen asleep on Warricks' chest when she heard someone's cell phone ring. She didn't bother to open her eyes until she heard the tent flaps open. She sat up a little and saw Sara standing above her, looking a little confused about the change of whom Catherine was with, but otherwise excited.

"Guys. That was the hospital. Veronica just woke up."

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A/N: I think this is the longest chapter yet! HUZZAH! So, hope you don't mind the switch to Warrick/Catherine… I know some people might be mad, but the more I watch CSI the more I think Cath and War belong together! Also, don't forget to tell me any ideas you have for fictions! Love you all! Don't be afraid to tell me what you don't like... I can't fix it if you don't tell me!


	7. Another Day, Another Confession

All right, it's been a while since I've updated, so in case anyone forgets, Sara just got a call from the hospital saying that Veronica woke up.

question marks (lol, won't let me do those!): People are spreading rumors about my story? Wow, I feel special now :-) Don't worry, I won't ditch my story… just I've been busy with getting ready for school and challenges, so I kind of forgot… and I'm low on inspiration! But yeah, I'll tell you all if I abandon this. Thanks for the review!

CsiM.Csi.CsiNY.Wat: LOL, yeah I know… it needed to change! Thanks for reading!

Zach: Yeah, I dunno what to do with Veronica right now… oh well!

keira: Thanks! And I'm still deciding Veronicas' fate… mu ha ha!

ashleigh woodward: That would rock if you posted my stuff! Thank you so much for reading; next time log in so I can read your stuff!

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"Go, Sara! Everyone will pick up here... you and Greg go to the hospital and see Veronica. Trust me, we can handle it. Right boys?" Warrick and Nick gave each other a high five, but Grissom just nodded, looking worriedly at Sara.

"Are you sure you're okay to go anywhere, Sara?"  
"Grissom... I'm fine. Don't worry. You helped me. A lot." Smiling, she kissed his cheek. Grissom, instead of the usually stiff expression and small blush, kissed her right back. Surprised, Sara stepped back, smiling. "I'll be back soon, all right?" Grissom nodded, trying to smile but looking grim.  
"We'll meet you two back here, okay?" Sara nodded. Greg stood next to her, looking anxious and excited.

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"I can't believe she's awake...I hope she's okay…" Greg was babbling nervously next to Sara on the bus. All Sara was thinking of was looking out the window. The buildings were coming back into view, and somehow, that just didn't feel right to Sara. She could see the hospital, but somehow didn't want to go any nearer. The bus made a stop a few blocks from the hospital, and on an impulse, Sara jumped out. Greg looked at her through the window, bewildered, as the bus pulled away. Sara took a deep breath, finally on her own. She spotted a pay phone. _Before I go to see Veronica, I need to sort some things out._ She put in 50 cents and dialed.  
"Sidles."  
"Daddy?"  
"Sara? Where the hell are you? You just ran out last night, what the hell were you thinking! You get your ass home right now!"  
"Daddy!" She screamed into the phone, tears running down her cheeks. "Veronica is hurt, so I'm spending a few more nights at the hospital with her."  
"Get home now, before I-"  
"Daddy, please...something almost…" she swallowed. "…Never mind. I'll be back in two days, all right?" All she could hear was breathing on the other end. She was about to hang up when she heard her fathers' voice.  
"Sara?" He sounded small and almost scared.  
"What's wrong, Dad?"  
"I just...You're a wonderful person." Sara was stunned into silence; this was coming from the man who had never hugged her, never smiled at her, never told her that she was beautiful, had, in fact, never encouraged her at all. Smiling, Sara realized the some of the tears rolling down her face were now happy tears.  
"Dad?"  
"Yeah, Sara?"  
"I love you." Hanging up before he could react, Sara was still smiling. She knew her father would maybe, someday tell her that he loved her. She walked slowly towards the hospital, feeling a little bit better.

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The nurse on Veronicas' floor had just finished telling Sara what was going on when she heard the yelling.  
"Who the hell are you? Get the hell out?" Sara ran a little, and shoved open the door in time to see Veronica throwing a pillow at a shocked-looking Greg. Veronica turned to the door, still looking angry. She saw Sara and smiled happily.  
"Sara, thank god! Will you get this guy out of here?" She pointed to Greg, who now had a few tears trickling down his face.  
"Veronica, it's Greg! Don't you remember?"  
"Who's Greg?"

"Catherine?"

"Sara…"

"Warrick or Nick?"

"Who…"

"Not even Grissom?"

"You're crazy." Sara was hurt; she knew it wasn't Veronicas' fault; the nurse had told her that Veronica was suffering from amnesia and couldn't remember anyone or anything that had happened in the last year or two. Veronica had always been the one she had turned to, and now Sara could say she was marrying Grissom and still she would have that confused look on her face.

"Maybe you should go, Sara." Veronica looked confused and a little angry. Sara sighed.

"All right. I'll come check up on you later?" Veronica just looked out her window, eyes hollow. Sara left the room; Greg was sitting outside in a chair, his head in his hands. Her heart ached a little; she hated seeing someone was cheery as Greg in pain. She sat next to him and placed a hand on his back. He looked up at her. Surprisingly, his face was now tear-free.

"You okay, Greggo?"

"Yeah… I knew something like that would probably happen." Sighing and running his hands through his hair, he stood and looked at Sara. "You ready to get back to camp?" Sara nodded, her throat dry.

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"They're back already?" Warrick looked up; Sara and Greg were walking slowly towards the campsite, hugging each other. Catherine turned to where Grissom had been sitting only to find that he wasn't there anymore; he had already darted over to Sara to see if she was okay. Catherine was a little shocked to see Grissom kiss Sara in front of everyone, and she turned to see the boys' reactions. Nick was leaning against a tree, nodding slightly. Warrick was grinning like a maniac, but that turned into a calm and embarrassed face as he saw Catherine looking at him.

"Hey Cath!" Sara was smiling, which made Catherine feel a lot better.

"Hey, Sara. How's Veronica?"

"Amnesia… she doesn't remember any of you guys…" Saras' eyes clouded over a little, but then she smiled again. "I was wondering… if it would be okay if we stayed out here for a few more days… Monday is Labor Day, so we don't have school…" Saras face was lit up with hope. Catherine grinned at her and turned to Nick and Warrick; Warrick was nodding eagerly, but Nick looked a little smug.

"I have to go to football practice. You all have fun." He winked at Warrick, who turned a little red and looked at Catherine. Catherine looked at Grissom; he was smiling and nodding a little. Greg was looking concerned, though.

"I want to go bring Veronica something… maybe talk to her, help her remember. I'll probably come back tomorrow, if you guys are staying two more nights."

"Nick? What about you?"

"Yeah, I could come back tomorrow."

"It's settled, then; Me, Warrick, Grissom and Sara will stay here tonight and tomorrow night, and tomorrow night you two will come back!" Everyone nodded.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Sara hugged Catherine in a sudden burst of emotion.

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Nick and Greg waved goodbye to the other four as the bus pulled away. Catherine turned back to the campsite, all business, and addressed her friends.

"So, what do we do now?"

"I'm up for anything… except a walk in the woods." Sara shuddered a little as she said this, and Grissom put a hand on her shoulder. Catherine smiled at the two.

"You wanna go swimming again?"

"That'd be fine with me… Warrick?"

"Yeah… cool." Catherine didn't notice him looking at her out the corner of his eye, a small smile on his face.

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"You boys ready?" Catherines' voice yelled out from the tent; Warrick and Grissom had changed outside the tent and were now waiting for Sara and Catherine to come out.

"Let's go!" Warrick was shivering a little. The tent flap opened and Sara stepped out in a shiny blue one piece that clung to her body perfectly, the focus on the low neck line. Grissom smiled at her and she grinned back, running over to hug him. Catherine stepped out; she was dressed in a light pink two-piece. Warrick couldn't help but admire her openly. Catherine saw him staring and turned a little red.

"Hey, Rick…"

"Yeah?" He looked into her eyes, and again, Catherine got that feeling in her stomach that just wouldn't go away.

"Dammit," they both muttered, looking away from each other. Sara noticed this and elbowed Grissom lightly; they watched as their two friends blushed and got flustered.

"You guys coming or what?" Sara walked off towards the lake, everyone following after her.

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The sun was just starting to sink in the sky, and the four friends sat on the bank, dripping wet. Grissom was holding Sara in his lap, and Catherine and Warrick were sitting apart from each other, a little awkwardly. Sara sighed, snuggling closer to Grissom. Catherine glanced over and Warrick, who had just quickly turned away from looking at her. Grissom noticed all of this, and he whispered something in Saras' ear. Sara grinned and nodded.

"Hey Cath, I was going to get us a blanket… will you come with?"

"Sure." Catherine stood quickly, eager to get away from Warrick and everything that she was feeling right now. Sara started to get up and in the process bumped into Catherine. She tried to steady herself, but ended up falling towards the ground. Warrick jumped up and grabbed her before she got hurt. Catherine opened her eyes and found that her face was inches from his.

"Hey Sara…" she looked out the corner of her eye; Grissom and Sara were gone. She looked back to Warrick, who was studying her face.

"Cath…"

"Thanks for catching me… you can let go now."

"Do you want me to?" Catherine was caught off guard, and Warrick took advantage of this; he leaned in and gently kissed her. Surprised as she was, nothing could stop Catherine from deepening the kiss. Warrick still held her gently in his arms.

Sara and Grissom watched from behind the trees.

"They're so cute together." Sara sighed and turned to Grissom. "Don't you think?"

"Sara… are you okay?" She had seemed a little quiet all night and Grissom was worried that she might still be scared about the man in the woods.

"Grissom… I'm fine." He nodded and looked up at the moon.

"I wouldn't be, though… if it wasn't for you." He looked back, she was looking right at his face, her eyes watery and her expression serious.

"You saved my life… and not just today." Grissom turned away as she started to cry, more helpless now than ever.

"You protected me without thinking about yourself… and you have been so great to me… even when I was being such a bother to you…" She smiled and stepped forward a little.

"Grissom…" she put her hand on his cheek and gently made him look at her.

"I love you." She leaned in and gently kissed him. Grissom kissed her back, and laughed a little when he realized he was crying too.

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All right… school in 2 days, so I don't know how often I can update… please review, it really helps me want to write more! Love you all!


	8. Panic

A/N: Damn school has had me SOOO busy, so sorry to all my readers! High School is great so far, though… they won't let me switch to Honors Bio, so I can't take forensics until my Senior year! Besides that and not being able to write, all is well!

ANYWAY… lol, I totally forgot my last chapter was so dramatic! Hope you all like the new one, and please know that even if I don't post for a long time, I'm thinking of you guys and TRYING to find time to write again!

Helen: This is the sequal… hope you found it okay and you like it as much as you liked the first part!

Jamie L.: I know the feeling! Yeah, they really were… but have you read the spoilers? Go to CSI Files… you might have a heart attack! I certainly did… lol. Thanks so much, and hope you like this next chap!

Navaer: Thank you! My story missed you too:-p Thanks for reading!

CsiM.Csi.CsiNY.Wat: lol… I agree whole-heartedly! Well, I didn't want to kill Veronica, but I'm trying to gradually ease her out… or in… who know? Lol, thanks so much for sticking through this with me!

the one and only: Thanks, V… you might die! So be nice to me… :-)

Maddy-CSI: Congrats! You noticed about Jamie… well, for my purposes, she DID die… obviously, no one really cared! So BLEH to her! She wasn't really that important, just part of my "totally destroy Saras' self esteem" plan. I think I tortured Sara enough in the first part… don't worry; I know where I'm going with this… more hell for Sara is on the way! Do you want closure with Jamie?

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Sara woke up at sunrise; Grissom lay beside her, sleeping peacefully. They had decided to sleep outside while Warrick and Catherine shared the tent. Stretching, Sara slowly stood and yawned. She looked down at Grissom again; he was smiling in his sleep. Sara laughed a little, amazed that she still felt so strongly for him. She walked towards the lake, hands in her pockets. Last night had been a blast; Catherine and Warrick spent most of their time staring silently at each other, while Grissom and Sara had done the same. Even staring at the one you love gets tiring after a while though, so they had all taken a bus to town and eaten dinner at Olive Garden.

"Isn't this cheating?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Sara, taking a big bite of steak.

"Well, we are camping… shouldn't we be eating hot dogs and marshmallows?" She stuck her tongue out at Catherine and snuggled closer to Grissom.

"Who says camping means we have to eat crappy food every day?" Warrick had laughed at the bickering girls. Sara smiled as she remembered.

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The lake sparkled in the sun, and Sara sat on the bank to watch the sun finish rising. Part of her was scared; last time she had been to the lake, not only had ANOTHER embarrassing episode with Grissom occurred, but also she had almost been kidnapped and worse. But most of her felt at peace; Grissom, Warrick and Catherine was near by, and they were the best thing that had ever happened to her. Being with them made her forget the scars that covered her body, all the bad things that normally happened to her. Sighing, she leaned back onto her elbows. Everything was quiet. She felt someone sit next to her. Panicking, she backed away, an arm up to protect herself.

"Sara!" She looked up, fearful, and saw Warrick looking worriedly at her.

"Oh… hi Rick." Her heart was threatening to burst out of her chest.

"You okay?"

"Yeah… just got a little spooked."

"Sara, I need to tell you something…" she studied his face; he looked worried and a little sad.

"What is it?"

"We can't stay another night."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Grissom is worried about you… we never heard back from the cops, either. I mean, what if that guy comes back for you?" Sara cringed and Warrick immediately looked apologetic.

"Warrick, I'm not worried, and that's what should matter!"

"Actually, Grissom's packing our things right now." Sara stared at him.

"Are you kidding me?" Without waiting for an answer, she stood and ran towards the campground.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Grissom pulled the last stake out of the tent; the sleeping bags lay near by, already rolled and ready to go. Catherine sat on a picnic bench, sipping on Hot Chocolate. Sara ignored her and stormed up to Grissom furiously.

"Grissom! What's wrong with you? I want to stay here another night!" He looked up at her, surprised and a little hurt.

"Sara, I'm just too worried… you could get hurt, and I'm not sure staying here is the best way to get over it."

"What makes you think I'm not already over it?" She couldn't help but snap. She loved Grissom, but this was really pissing her off.

"Sara, I know. Please, I'd feel much better if I knew you were safe at home."

"_Safe_ at home?" Scoffing in disbelief and annoyed to feel tears come to her eyes, Sara turned away. "Grissom… please, can't we stay here one more night?" He gently wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head gently.

"Sara… I just can't take that. You might be strong enough, but I'm not. Nothing is worth seeing you in danger again." Sara turned to face him; she was angry, but his face changed everything; he looked scared for her, and Sara hated that. Kissing him gently on the lips, Sara surrendered.

"Guys… where's Warrick?" Sara turned, finally acknowledging Catherine.

"He was right behind me." Before she could do anything, Catherine jumped up.

"Shit! Warrick!" Running as fast as she could, Catherine charged towards the lake, tears already falling from her eyes. Sara and Grissom were close behind, looking as worried as Catherine did. "Please, no…" panicky, Catherine screamed his name again. Finally, she could see the bank of the lake; Warrick was there, watching the water calmly. Gasping in relief, Catherine sat next to him, panting.

"Warrick, what the hell were you thinking? That guy could still be out there!" He looked over at her tear-streaked face, shocked.

"Cath, I was here alone for about three minutes." Catherines' face crumpled as she began to cry. Warrick quickly pulled her to his chest, rocking her back and forth. Grissom and Sara arrived; Warrick looked up at them and jerked his head back towards the campground. Sara opened her mouth to protest, but Grissom gently grabbed her wrist.

"Come on Sara, let them be alone for a second." They left.

"Cath… what's wrong?"

"Please, please never do that again." She looked up at him, tears slowing down. He wiped one away with his thumb and stroked her face gently.

"Cath… it's okay. I'm right here." She smiled at him and kissed him.

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"Sara, are you almost ready to leave?"

"I guess, Grissom… if we have to." She was still defiant, but she would do anything for Grissom. That sounded a little funny in her head. "Do you want me to call you Gil?" Grissom cringed, shaking his head quickly. Laughing, Sara was about to go get Catherine and Warrick, who were still by the lake, when her cell phone rang.

"Sara Sidle."

"Oh god…" the voice on the other end sounded panicky, but familiar.

"Who's this?"

"Sara… oh my god… I didn't mean to…"

"Mom! What's wrong?" Grissom turned his head as Sara said that; her jaw dropped as she listened to her mother on the other end.

"Hello? Hello! Mom, please come back! Shit!" Snapping her phone shut, Sara turned to Grissom, eyes wide and horrified. "Something's wrong with my mom."

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A/N: I know it's short… there will probably be only about two more chapters, but longer ones, so PLEASE tell me if you have ideas for fics! Thanks!


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